Loss, Regret, and Annie
by CreationsGoneAwry
Summary: Nadi is a solitary person. He enjoys being alone and the peace and quiet that come with it. His heart is heavy with a tragic past he can't seem to escape from, and things only get worse after he recognizes Annie as the girl he spent the night with. Time can bandage all wounds, but can anything truly heal them? A bittersweet tale of a cynical gardener and an eccentric farmer.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** CGA here! My ideas aren't sapped yet, and I told y'all I'd be back soon! So, this is a little something I like to call Loss, Regret, and Annie. It's a rather edgy-sounding name, but rightfully so, I think.

Now, here's something that's pretty different about this story compared to all my others: this one's actually mostly written already. I have up to chapter nine completed, thanks to me writing it during WTSHW, and I don't see this exceeding fourteen chapters. They're short but powerful.

So... let me know what you think, and I'll try to keep this updated once a week! Thanks for reading :)

* * *

I wasn't ever supposed to see her again. We didn't have anything special, and we certainly weren't stupidly devoted to each other. We just spent a night together.

Of course, I regretted that decision instantly the next morning when I woke up. My head pounded and throbbed with the knowledge that I'd made a terrible, utterly horrible mistake I couldn't take back.

She didn't recognize me at first, or pretended not to, and that was fine. The situation would be easier to deal with that way. It was just strange knowing that she was the same person when she acted completely different from before.

Despite her young appearance, she was very swift-moving and seemingly experienced. She was shy at first, at the club where we met, but she wasn't completely against it when her friends started pushing her towards me. Women were controversial and hypocritical.

She told me her name wasn't important, and after the deed was done she couldn't leave fast enough. She had better things to do and places to be.

She was probably right, but my drunken self wanted her to stay longer – at least then the hotel fee might have been worth it.

Still, I had nothing to do with her anymore. If she wanted to ignore me or pretend she didn't know me, that was fine. Great, even. That meant I had fewer people to worry about.

"Hey, Raeger, did you hear about the new farmer? She's a girl!"

Right. I was at the restaurant. Since I started drinking again, my memory would become hazy at the most inopportune times.

"Yeah, I gathered that much from Veronica's introduction."

"No way! You met her already?"

"Yup."

"Is she cute?"

Raeger sighed. It served Agate right – sometimes she was very nosy. In my experience, women were always like that.

Meanwhile, I just sat at the counter by my lonesome, quietly enjoying my food. It wasn't any of my business what they were talking about; it never was, and I didn't care.

"Aw, c'mon!" Agate whined. She wouldn't give up. "You know how long it's been since you've been on a date? It's been at least - "

"All right, all right, that's enough," he said, putting an end to it.

And it most certainly was. I stood up and headed towards the kitchen counter to place my dishes in the sink. After leaving the general area, I allowed myself a stretch and a yawn. People were exhausting. Why did they get so worked up over something that didn't matter?

So there was a new farmer moving in and sure, she was a girl. Her relative attractiveness shouldn't have mattered at all; as long as she got her work done at the end of the day, I couldn't care less that she wasn't as attractive as the magazine models. Once everyone else saw her, things would calm down, just like they left me alone after realizing I wasn't one for idle chatter.

I sighed while walking up the steps to Elise's mansion. Oh, well, back to work.

"Nadi! I'm glad you're back."

When was Elise ever glad I came back?

"Now you can decorate the fountain!"

I scoffed. Right. She only pretended to care when she needed me. Didn't everybody around here? This town, though small, was full of superficiality.

Just a week before I moved in permanently, Veronica told me a resident farmer had passed away. She asked me to wait at least a few days before arriving so the villagers could recuperate and adjust. That was fine. I didn't need the money badly, anyway, and I didn't need a bunch of somber faces telling me their sob stories.

Everyone in town was cheerful and upbeat, though, when I moved in, as if nothing had even happened, like a tragedy never occurred and nobody ever died. No one I talked to mentioned the old lady, either, like she wasn't important anymore.

As usual, however, it had nothing to do with me or my work, so other than my thinking it odd, I paid it no mind. Death obviously meant nothing to these people.

The fountain was giving me more trouble than necessary. I had to take a sip from my flask to keep me motivated and level-headed enough to deal with it.

Pretty soon the bluebells I planted around the stone actually looked like flowers. With any luck, Elise wouldn't bother me for the rest of the day now.

But I chose to stay, anyway. I didn't want to go back into town and hear everyone gush about the new female farmer. I already knew who she was and how she looked, and I just didn't care.

If how she was with me really was a whole different person like I expected, then I could assume she was just like everyone else here: too friendly, overly nice, and outgoing. She'd fit right in, and then things would go back to normal.

…

She met my eye three days later during my usual lunch. I tried not to stare, but it was like she was an entirely different person, worse than I expected. No matter how much I told myself it didn't concern me, it almost did. How could one person change personalities as if they were shoes? Wasn't it tiresome? I'd only spent three hours with her, but I'd thought she was the good kind of different.

She confused me. Maybe I just wanted to understand her motives.

Before I knew it, she occupied the stool next to mine. I didn't exactly want her to, but I wasn't so uncaring and impolite as to shoo her away. She could do as she pleased.

"Hey, so... Nadi?"

Her voice was very soft and quiet. She didn't want anyone to hear her.

I nodded, though surprised she even remembered my name, considering how out of it she was that night.

"Uh, I remember you, and what happened... vaguely. And, y'know, I'm sorry if I, well, got your hopes up, but I was, like, totally plastered and literally anyone would do at the time. You understand, right?"

Ugh. I didn't think she would ever stop talking.

She reeked of fruity perfume and her hair was up in one of those stereotypical high school girl buns, messy with frizz and strands sticking out everywhere. I knew then that she really couldn't have been any older than eighteen – she showed it too much.

"Don't worry about it," I said, hoping she would just forget about it and leave me alone. She didn't, though. "It's not something someone like you should concern yourself with."

She giggled and thanked me, taking her stench with her as she hurried away. It looked like she just wanted to flirt with Raeger, anyway, since she seated herself right in front of him at the other counter.

I shook my head and sighed. What a troublesome, annoying girl. I didn't know how I was possibly once attracted to her.

I looked down at the flask on the countertop. Alcohol. I grimaced.

Maybe a few days without it wouldn't be so bad.

But after talking to her, even just for that little while, she didn't confuse me anymore. I had her all figured out.

Agate tried to get her attention. To my knowledge, they were the same age, which was great. Maybe she wouldn't bother me again – either of them.

After I finished my meal, I sealed all of my curiosity away. Back to work.

Elise accused me of slacking off, as usual, but I ignored her. She just wanted to get a rise out of me. It was nothing new.

Some of the townspeople told me I was living in a rut, that since winter was over and spring had come, I should start anew. What did they know? What did they even mean by that – my life was boring?

Not everybody needed parties and snooty girls in his life. How condescending. I was content with the finer things: peace, quiet, and isolation.

I didn't think I'd ever understand why the people in this town insisted on pestering me everyday. And it only confused and frustrated me further when I couldn't be alone on the bench in front of the inn.

If I wanted to talk, I would, and until then... Ugh.

"Why do I always see you by yourself?"

It was Klaus. I thought he at least had the decency to know when people wanted to be by themselves.

I shrugged. "Do you see me a lot? I'm not _always_ alone."

"Ah, yes. At times I see Elise scolding you. I can only imagine how nice that is." He smiled.

I scoffed at his attempted humor and took another drink from the flask.

"Drinking as you do is bad for the lungs," he told me, crossing his arms.

I wasn't going to listen to a perfumer tell me that. "Yeah, I know."

It seemed like he was going to sit down next to me, but he didn't. Instead, he just stood there and sighed. "There are plenty who would miss you."

"Like who?" I wasn't planning anything, but I would've loved to know who he had in mind. I hardly spent enough time with anyone here for them to even have the chance to know me, let alone miss me.

The point of moving to a small town was to be surrounded by nothing but the quiet sounds of nature. At least, that was what I expected, with this classified as a farming community.

Klaus brought me out of my thoughts. "Elise, for example. I've never seen her nag anyone quite as much as she does you."

Nagging and scolding translated to adoration? That vile girl wouldn't miss me if I dropped dead on the job; she'd continue harassing me until her ears got tired of hearing herself talk. She wouldn't find out for a while, considering how vain she was.

"She cares for you a great deal."

This conversation was starting to get boring. He wasn't saying anything particularly entertaining, and every time he opened his mouth after that he talked down to me.

I tuned him out with a quick sip and slowly felt myself drifting into unconsciousness. Lately, I'd been getting drunk more and more often. I imagined it was because the anniversary was coming up soon, but no matter the reason, I didn't want to pull another stunt like the infamous one from the other week.

It was only the fourth day of spring and already it was too warm to sleep outside. Or maybe I just didn't want to sleep at all.

…

Klaus must have left me alone just after I started spacing out; he wasn't anywhere nearby, and I knew no more than fifteen minutes had passed. The sky was still the same shade.

I wanted to stand up and return home, but the familiar feeling of a headache prevented that. I normally carried around a second flask – of water – for such a situation, but it must have slipped my mind earlier. The beast of the town had proven fierce already.

And there she was, exiting the restaurant. She didn't see me immediately, which made me both upset and happy. The alcohol was taking its toll. I just hoped I didn't disregard all rational thought again.

"Nadi?"

She knelt down on the ground in front of the bench and watched me with big eyes. Being rational was the last thing on my mind.

"Don't sit there. You'll get dirty."

She stared at me for a few more seconds and then coughed into her fist off to the side. "Hey, are you drunk?"

"Yup."

She giggled. "You're so honest. Usually drunk people don't admit they're drunk. I never got that, like, what's the point of - "

"What's your name?"

She stopped talking and tilted her head. "What?"

How could anyone be confused by that question? I closed my eyes, somehow believing that doing so would alleviate the pain. All the pain.

"Um... I'm Annie," she said slowly. Annie. "I thought I told you that already, when we, y'know..."

"You told me your name wasn't important." I rolled over on my side, facing away from her. "You said you had better things to do."

"Did I...?" She laughed. "Sorry, guess sometimes when I get drunk I act totally different – kinda like you right now."

I yawned. "How so?" I didn't particularly care for her answer, but I would hear her out.

"Well, I mean, I don't know you that well, but you seem like the kind of person who shuts others out. You're kinda mean to everyone but deep down you really just wanna get along with them?"

The beast only further confused my drunken mind. It was too much to take in and try to think about right now.

"Oh, and while we're talking about being drunk, you should stop drinking so much all the time."

If I'd had a gold coin for every time I'd heard that, I wouldn't have been here in this town.

"It's really bad for you," she continued. "I know you're probably thinking 'Wow, what a hypocrite' because I drink, too, but I've been in town literally four days, and you've drank at least five bottles of... whatever's in your flask, based on how often I see you drink from it."

She talked quite a bit. At least she wasn't stupid, though – instead, she seemed surprisingly observant. "I don't drink that often, or in such large quantities."

"Okay, now you're sounding like a generic drunk."

Even though I was nearly numb to all my senses, the hangover brought me back every now and again to remind me how annoying she was. It was funny in a sarcastic way: I'd always said women were controversial, but my mind and thoughts yearned to prove me wrong.

I could've sworn I fell back to sleep briefly, because the next thing I remembered was her asking when my birthday was – and I actually must have fallen asleep because my senses were starting to return.

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I wanna know when I can get you a gift."

I scoffed. "You want to give me a gift?" Someone like her didn't need to bother with someone like me.

"Yeah! Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because..." I hadn't had someone give me a birthday gift in a very long time. But I wasn't going to tell her that. "...You should spend your money on other things. Aren't you just getting started?" I certainly didn't need anything, anyway.

She puffed out her top lip. It seemed she just didn't want to listen to my refusal. "Does that mean your birthday's this month?" She must have taken my silence for an answer. "Mine is. It's on the twenty-third. Now you gotta tell me yours!"

What sort of twisted logic did this girl use? Splitting headache...

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

"Yeah!" She nodded too happily. Just watching her exhausted me.

I sighed. "Fine. Summer thirty-first."

"Really? On the last day?"

I sat up and reached for the flask, trying my best to ignore her. Before I could put it to my lips, though, she pried it from my hand.

My reflexes were shot. I could only watch helplessly as she poured out the remaining ounce onto the cold pavement, absorbing it in seconds. I looked up at her, wide-eyed, but I didn't know what to say; _could_ I say anything?

"You're welcome," she said proudly. "I assume you'll run out completely in like a day at the rate you drink, right?"

What was she getting at...?

"Alcohol is expensive, especially liquor like this. When you run out, come see me. My parents own a liquor store back home, so I can get some for free or super cheap."

Was this blackmail? I'd run out of liquor and have to beg her? I wasn't broke. I could buy more when I ran low.

I had to admit, though, she made me completely reconsider drinking in the first place. If I'd feel this way around her every time I drank, my life would be a dangerous one. I seriously had some things to think about.

She set the flask back down on the bench and walked away. I bet she was feeling rather good about herself after that. Did she get off to other people's misery? She didn't even know the half of it.

Jeez... If I hadn't already signed my life away to Elise and her family's mansion, I would have run so far, so fast, away from this town. It would kill me.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hey! So I can already tell this story will be a rather... acquired taste, if you will. A hit or a miss. That's totally fine, though, and as long as I see views to it, that's great! In the end, I really only write to get the characters' stories out there. It's their story. I don't have muses or anything, but sometimes these characters' fictitious scenarios are enough to pester me to write.

Anyway, as for this story as a whole, I didn't mention this in the first chapter, but it's very bittersweet. I'm glad I'm writing it, and especially glad I'm tackling another first-person narrative, but even as I write it, it just kinda... gets to me, in ways I don't even understand. I won't spoil anything with my thoughts just yet (even though you can probably already guess after this chapter), but my stomach drops whenever I get to certain parts and I actually have to stop typing/writing for a few minutes to bring myself back to reality. It happened a few times with Selfish Heart, but there's just something about this one that momentarily breaks my heart.

Sorry to rant. I hope by now everybody knows me well enough to be able to skip through all my crap...

Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated :)

* * *

The day started with me just minding my own business, watering the growing flowers and planting new ones. I was having a grand ol' time, too, until Elise came out to bother me.

"Nadi! Quit slacking! And don't forget to weed the tulips; they're starting to droop."

I'd just weeded them a day prior. I sighed. It was a strange spring so far. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Ohoho! That's right. I like that title!"

She spent several moments praising herself, but by that time I'd already tuned her out so much and forgotten she was there until she reminded me with her voice. "Do not forget your place, Nadi."

By place, she meant her employee...? One could hardly consider her small mansion as such, and her father was the one who hired me, not her, but whatever. As long as I was monetarily reimbursed, I couldn't care less.

"Yeah, yeah."

She thankfully took that as her cue to leave, and I was alone again. It was nice, having only the plants by my side. That was how it used to be. The atmosphere was peaceful.

And, best of all, there was no beast in sight. I would undoubtedly see her eventually in this "town with more hoes than people," as I'd heard before, but for now, things were quiet and easy.

There wasn't anything left for me to do after fertilizing, so I cleaned up and started walking into town. The restaurant was closed, and on days like this, I went to the general store for food.

However, my day turned troublesome after I caught glimpse of her. She stood outside the restaurant, looking pretty defeated. She moved in on a Thursday, so she probably didn't know it was closed on Wednesdays. Oh, well. It wasn't my problem.

The beast turned around and saw me. I palmed my forehead. She ran up to me about as fast as possible.

"Why is Raeger's closed?"

I considered my options.

I had no obligation to tell her. If I really wanted to, I could have made up some outlandish lie: Raeger closed the restaurant indefinitely so he wouldn't have to see her anymore. It would be revenge for her dumping my flask the other day.

But that required too much effort. Maybe she'd go somewhere else if I just told her.

"The restaurant is always closed on Wednesdays." There was a sign right outside the door, even. Was she illiterate, too?

She put on an even more surprised and upset face. "I'm so hungry, though! Doesn't he ever make exceptions for pretty girls?"

I opened my mouth to retort but had to bite my tongue. She was making this too easy.

"Hey!" she shouted in my face. "You were gonna say I'm not that pretty, weren't you?! I'll have you know, when I get older, I'm gonna - "

"All right, jeez. You can stop any time." She had such a shrill, high-pitched girl voice that pierced my eardrums every time she spoke. I didn't want her to cause a scene – that would only bring more trouble.

She gave me a look like she was going to start yelling again. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Just come with me and stop whining."

Maybe I wasn't fully aware of what I was doing, because it certainly didn't make any sense after we arrived at my room of the inn. I was probably only worried about her being so loud outside.

Still, this was arguably one of my most foolish decisions.

"Hey, uh, Nadi..."

"Hmm?"

Unfortunately there wasn't another place to sit in the cramped room, so the beast took her seat on my bed. It couldn't be helped; I'd just stand.

She looked oddly suspicious, though.

"Wh-when I said I was hungry, I didn't mean... y'know." She cleared her throat. "I didn't think you were so upset about that night that you wanted a redo. I'm sorry."

I blinked at her in confusion. "What?" She wasn't possibly insinuating that we sleep together again, right?

She shook her head. "N-nothing! Forget I said anything."

I took in a deep breath. "Whatever. I have to go out. Stay here, be quiet, and don't touch anything."

I didn't wait for her response, because that would just waste more time, so I left her alone. I almost felt like a father lecturing his young children. Ugh. If every day would consist of me babysitting this girl... I'd go insane within a week.

…

I didn't know what to expect upon returning to the room. Would it be destroyed? Would there be furniture missing? Would I have to call the police?

What I most certainly wasn't expecting, however, was what I saw the second I pushed the door open.

She'd gotten hold of some boxes underneath the bed and, of course, their contents. That was all memorabilia that didn't need to be remembered.

I dropped all three grocery bags. "What are you doing?"

She looked up at me nonchalantly, like there was nothing wrong. "Oh, I just found 'em and thought - "

"Thought what? That it was okay for you to rifle through someone else's things?"

"S-sorry, I didn't mean - "

"That's just it! You people are all the same! You never _mean_ to, and you never realize how annoying you are until you trouble someone else!"

I wasn't wrong. These townspeople had no sense of decency or privacy or just any sort of respect. Maybe I wasn't the best at wording what I meant, but I wasn't wrong. She couldn't deny that.

She took it all without a complaint, but then she scowled. "'You people?'" She stood up and shook her head, speaking with a serious voice. "We 'people' are all the same, sure, but at least we don't yell at others for no good reason. It looks like you've got a lot to learn."

Hardly. This girl infuriated me. I only yelled at her because she was disrespectfully rummaging through my belongings, specifically after I'd told her not to touch anything. I wasn't even gone ten minutes, but who knew just how much else she touched?

She started walking away after a few more harsh words, but she turned around to face me first. "By the way, your girlfriend's really pretty – you should probably make sure she's still happy with someone like you."

I rubbed at my temples after she slammed the door. The grocery bags remained on the floor and as I stared at them, I couldn't believe I'd offered to serve her. She was an abomination that just suddenly appeared in my life. At least the other people in town stayed within their own circles, but now that the beast was here, it felt like my sanity withered away hour by hour.

How could somebody who was so polite and caring and romantic in private be so... frustratingly repulsive in public?

…

I'd only been in town for about a week. It was the middle of winter, which really just meant it was too damn cold all the time. There was too much snow on the ground, and on my way to the mansion I must have slipped and fallen at least five times.

It was still too early for the locals to be awake so nobody bothered or poked fun at me – until I made it to the mansion and Elise saw me.

She scolded me for being five minutes late and demanded to know why I was covered in snow. It was too much of a hassle to explain it, so I just took the blame in stride and went to work.

After that, everything escalated, and it didn't help that the anniversary was just days away. It was all too much to handle.

I wondered if everyone experienced loss differently, but then I took a drink from my wine glass and forgot those pointless thoughts.

That was when I saw her. She had her hair down and styled, and actually looked rather attractive. Her friends noticed me first, and then they tapped her shoulder and pointed at me, whispering and giggling. It didn't take a genius to know what they were talking about; everyone here was looking for the same thing.

She tried to act shy, like it was her first time coming to such a place, but I knew better. Her eyes said what her mouth didn't.

I refused her at first. She annoyed me with her superficiality, so I told her I wasn't easy like she was. She frowned but I could tell she was pretty drunk because she perked right back up. She wouldn't take no for an answer and tried to drag me with her to a hotel "or something cheap."

She looked good - there was no denying that - but I started having second thoughts. Did I really want to fool around tonight? Of course I didn't just want to wallow in my drunken self-pity, but I didn't exactly want to throw myself at some stranger, either.

After all, I'd only been with someone once, and even then it was a very rare occurrence.

And this girl with me now hardly seemed old enough to have graduated high school, let alone be legal to drink. This was jailbait, wasn't it? They would make me sleep with her and then turn me in, claiming all sorts of lies.

Girls were all the same, only acting for their own convenience.

I huffed and stood up. "No thanks."

She grabbed my arm as I walked away, though. She was persistent. I could give her that.

"Just for tonight, please? I need some fun before I officially become a loser."

It wasn't until then that I pitied her. Not because she would have been a loser, but because she even had to think of that. Definitely immature.

But... this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime situation, one that neither of us would likely remember, so I'd better take it, I thought. Sure, there would be other girls, but none of them would be nearly as willing or attractive.

Argh, I was plastered, anyway, so nothing should have mattered.

"Yeah. Let's go somewhere."

…

It was a nice nap, though I couldn't say I enjoyed the dreams. I'd stopped drinking so much lately, which started taking its toll on me. I was irritable and cranky more easily and more often. Things bothered me more than they should have.

And it was all the beast's doing. How could I let my guard down, knowing she would be watching my every move?

She'd proven to have quite the negative impact on my life already, and it'd only been a week.

In any case, she had nothing to do with me anymore; it seemed that yesterday she finally took the hint. Maybe she'd spread the word to all her dumb friends, too.

The restaurant was crowded, as it usually was the day after closing. I saw several familiar faces and even more unfamiliar, and while the chef struggled to keep up with everyone's order, my eyes found her. She was just a few stools away from mine; it was too bad that she saw me, too, from around the bend in the counter.

She said something to Agate beside her and unfortunately got up and moved to the seat next to me. I sighed. She could do as she pleased, and I had no power or right to stop her, but I didn't have to acknowledge her.

"Hi," she said in her normal tone. She still reeked of that perfume. At least her hair was down, though. She looked less beasty and more human-like.

I nodded to her and took another sip of my tea. I wished that Raeger would hurry up with my meal.

"I uh, I'm sorry about yesterday, about... y'know."

"You don't have to apologize to me." Just stay away from me.

She fiddled with her fingers for a moment or two. "It's really none of my business, but I have a question."

I had a feeling I already knew what she would ask, and it _wasn't_ any of her business, but I decided to go along with it. Maybe once she heard about it, she would leave me alone. Though, thinking about the topic, I also had a hunch that a headache would soon make its way to me. "Go ahead," I told her, anyway.

She nodded and took in a deep breath. "So... it's pretty obvious you have a girlfriend and all, but if she's so pretty like that and you two like each other so much, then... why did you sleep with me?"

I heard a plate clatter on the countertop in front of me. Raeger stood with a dumbfounded expression, probably knowing he heard something he shouldn't have. "H-hey, whatever," he said defensively, eyeing us both. "It's not my business."

"R-Rae - !"

The beast tried to get his attention but he wasn't having any of it, walking away in a hurry to his next customer. At least Raeger knew not to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

I cleared my throat. "I don't want you to mention that again. Just like it's none of Raeger's business, that matter doesn't concern you."

Jeez... If I hadn't said that, she might have just gone ahead and told the entire town. Agate already knew, probably, judging on her and the beast's relationship.

I ate quietly, trying to ignore her annoying protests, and it mostly worked – until she blurted out something even more obnoxious.

"I'm never talking to you again!"

I palmed my forehead. Would I ever find peace again?

* * *

 _~CGA_


	3. Chapter 3

I eluded the beast for a successful week, but I wasn't happy about it. She'd been stuck so tightly to me like glue that it was strange not having her around. It wasn't at all like I missed her, but I had to admit, it was lonely.

Then again, I liked it that way. I was used to that, until she moved in and screwed with the constant.

It seemed other people noticed my change in mood, as well; at the restaurant, Raeger said I looked "down" and asked me what was wrong.

I scoffed. "Why do you care?" We weren't friends, and we weren't even close to being acquaintances. He was nobody.

He threw his hands up defensively. "Jeez, sorry. I didn't know my worrying would offend you."

I sighed. "Sorry."

He didn't speak for a few moments and I looked up at him. He wore a surprised expression.

"What?" I asked, somewhat annoyed.

He shook his head. "There's definitely something different about you... You're too nice."

Nice? I wasn't nice. That wasn't to say I was some demonic monster, but I was the last person one would consider friendly. Was _he_ all right?

"So what's up?" he asked. "Why are you acting so... weird?"

I already knew it was the beast's doing. She did something to me, but I didn't think I'd figure out what for a long time. Though if even Raeger, quite possibly one of the most dense people in town, picked up on my attitude...

"Oh, and what was up with what Annie said the other day?"

Or maybe he wasn't so dense. "Didn't you say it was none of your business?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'm just a little worried about her."

The beast? What was the matter with her? Not that I was worried like he supposedly was, but... Ugh. "What's wrong with the b – Annie?"

That was probably the first time I'd said her name out loud. It was strange, but somehow, with just that, she became human. Maybe I wouldn't have to keep referring to her as the beast.

That was wishful thinking.

"She's been all out of sorts since last week, when I overheard that, uh... well, I won't repeat it."

I sighed. Hopefully Raeger wouldn't spread that around. Oh, well. If she was feeling so depressed or whatever about it, tough luck. I didn't have the time or energy to care about anyone else. My head was full of enough controversy as it was, anyway.

"It's none of my concern."

Raeger stifled a laugh. "You really like saying that, don't you?"

"Saying what?" Normally I would have started ignoring him at this point, but I really was curious, and at the same time he was irritating me.

He smiled. "Things that suggest you're completely unrelated to everything that happens here in town. Y'know, Nadi, like it or not, Annie's attached to you – and it doesn't look like she'll let go anytime soon."

I was afraid of that. I really didn't need another person to worry about – or have her worrying about me. "Yeah..."

"Well, here, let me help you out," he said, placing another glass of tea in front of me. I sipped through the straw. "If you want to get her attention, you - "

"Hey, no, I want to _avert_ her attention, maybe redirect it."

"Hmm... That's right. She did say you have a girlfriend. How's that going, by the way?" He asked it in a skeptical tone, like he thought I was a womanizer.

I made sure not to mix my emotions together and kept a blank face. "It's fine."

"What's her name?"

My mind briefly drifted back to the flower garden I planted before moving. With a gulp of the tea, I swallowed the lump in my throat. "It doesn't matter."

He cleared his throat. "Right. Sorry."

I took bigger drinks from my glass so maybe I could leave faster, but Raeger prevented me from doing so, anyway.

"I've noticed you've stopped ordering alcohol."

I just nodded, not so much in a talkative mood anymore. He'd already ruined that, so my patience was wearing thin.

"Is that also Annie's influence?"

…

For a few minutes, Raeger had me fooled. I'd almost thought that we could have become... well, not friends, but something of the sort. But if something seemed too good to be true, it always was. He was just as nosy and annoying as the other townspeople.

The way he spoke, though, made it sound like he had a thing for Annie. The beast.

Either way, that was great. If those two idiots got together, both of them would stop bothering me and pelting me with ridiculous questions.

And then I'd go back to repenting for the past. There was nothing wrong with that. It would just be me, like it should have been all along.

I couldn't place a finger on why, but those thoughts depressed me. I was a pretty horrible person, huh?

I found another depressed person on the bench in front of the inn. It seemed that was our unofficial meeting spot. I could still smell the liquor on the ground.

As hard as I tried to ignore her, I just couldn't stop looking at her. She didn't raise her head up to greet me, she didn't smile, she didn't do anything but sit there and remind me of myself.

"Hey."

She still didn't look up.

"Hey..." I tried again, a little louder this time. Nothing, not even a flinch to acknowledge my presence. I sighed.

"Annie!"

"Ah! Wh-what?" Her head shot up and she looked at me in shock. "Nadi?"

"Yeah, that's me."

She sat and I stood in awkward silence for a while, but when she made it clear she wouldn't break it first, I cleared my throat. "What's the matter with you?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

I scoffed. "Why do women always say that? It's stupid."

"It's stupid that I don't want to tell you?"

I thought for a moment. No, it wasn't stupid at all. I shouldn't have cared, either, but I couldn't stop myself. "If something's wrong, tell me. Keeping it inside will be counterproductive."

"Pfft. Speak for yourself."

Well, unlike my situation, hers actually mattered! ...Well, no, it most likely didn't, knowing her tendency to exaggerate. Still, I felt somewhat guilty for her depressed demeanor.

She bit her lip. "We-we aren't friends, though."

"Just spit it out already," I said sternly. And I thought Raeger tested my patience. I had the ability to care and listen, but there was a limit. Especially when it came to her.

She nodded slowly. "So, I um... I confessed... I told Raeger I liked him."

This was what upset her? It was such a trivial matter. I should have known.

"But, like, not in so many words."

"...What?" There was more?

She fiddled with all of her fingers before deciding to start again. "Well, he kinda confided in me about... the person he likes, and all I could say is that I think he's so great and nice and handsome and that girl would be stupid to - "

"Stop, please." My head hurt. It provided very little relief when I rubbed my temples.

Why was it that people were always hurt by the most ridiculous things? Friendship, love, jealousy...

That was why it was better to be alone. By keeping to myself, I made sure I was always myself. People brought out the worst of themselves when others got involved. I was glad I finally remembered that.

"I c-can't stop," she whined. "I really like him, but he said the girl he likes is out of his league – not really his league, but I mean, she's a lot older than him. I think it's Iris. He didn't outright say it was her, but the way he smiles when she walks in and everything kinda gives it away. But Iris likes Klaus; Mistel told me they're on good terms. Klaus comes to the antique shop to see her and they're always together at his house."

She was right. She couldn't stop, but at last she finally did. I told her to spit it out, so I didn't really have the right to shut her up, but that didn't mean I wanted to play matchmaker in her dumb high school soap opera.

"And now," she said, "I can't even cheer him on. I just gave him that generic 'go get 'em' kinda chat because I can't wholeheartedly wish for his happiness. I'm so selfish..."

Ugh. Why did I bother spending time with this girl? Did I feel guilty? Did I still pity her? Did I want something? She'd barely been here two weeks and already she was wreaking havoc.

"Just find someone new," I told her. She was tearing up and blubbering and I just wanted her to shut up. "Go for someone who will look at you like that guy looks at her. Someone who has eyes for another girl is no good; you should find someone better."

She wiped her eyes and nodded. "You're... really bad at comforting people and giving advice."

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't like I was really trying in the first place. After all, I never claimed those to be my strong points.

She laughed. "But thanks, Nadi." She sniffled. "So, if I should find someone new... what if I fell for you?"

I sighed. She was so easy to read it wasn't funny. "I'm not - "

"I know, I know," she cut me off with another laugh. "You're taken, right? Your girlfriend probably wouldn't like that very much. Oh, how is she, anyway? I mean, are you guys... okay after everything?"

That wasn't what I wanted to say. Though it provided a better excuse, a familiar dull, annoying pain rang through my head. I stood up, almost falling right back down in the process. "Stop mentioning that. It's... none of your business."

"I-I'm sorry, Nadi – hey! Wait, Nadi!"

This girl was too nosy. It wasn't good for me. She made me remember the past.

Just how much longer would it continue to hurt me?

* * *

 _~CGA_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Otome games are the bane of my existence. I know no one here cares, but I just thought I should point that out. Seriously, don't ever play the Shall We Date? series. IT WILL CONSUME YOU. (Especially the newest game, War of Prayers. [Liam's route])

Anyway, lack of sleep aside (guess Nadi and I have that in common), updates for some of my other stories are looking pretty good right now. If you haven't seen my profile but follow some of them, you'll be pleased to know that Fritz the Ditz is making a return~ I'm in the final stages of planning and then I'll get chapter two out. After that, my Fire Emblem fic, This is Strictly Political, Right? will start updating regularly again (ha! it never updated regularly in the first place, fooled you!).

Then after that... I actually don't know! I finally decided to place my older stories on indefinite hiatus. I have ideas of where I want them to go and what happens during all of them, but... meh. Motivation is a pain sometimes, plus some of those fandoms have been dead since the day I published those stories, anyway, so what's the point? It's better off in my head.

I am (trying to start) planning more Story of Seasons fics, though, so stay tuned for sure! I don't want to promise anything that I haven't even thought about seriously yet, so check out my profile for more on that.

Thanks for your reviews! They're always so nice and great to read :)

* * *

It was the first day of summer and already it was too hot.

I saw her in the general store, in line to stock up on the new season's seeds, the same as every other farmer there. Unfortunately for me, it was Wednesday. I had to prepare my own meals for the day.

I really had to start buying in bulk, or at least schedule a different shopping day.

Her eyes met mine and, considering she was standing directly in front of me in line, she turned fully around to face me. She didn't show any signs of being hurt by what I'd last said to her.

"So... Agate said Mistel told her that Iris and Klaus are getting along."

Ugh. How confusing and irritating. She wanted to pass the time with small talk and _this_ was her topic of choice? Why was she so wrapped up in this drama?

"I don't care," I told her flatly. If we absolutely had to talk, I didn't want to talk about that. "If you're so into gossip and such, why don't you join the media?"

She frowned. "Because then I wouldn't be able to see you anymore."

Well, that caught me off guard. I didn't expect someone like her to be able to retort to my usual snark. Where did her newfound confidence come from?

As a result of my surprise, I was unable to respond. That only made her laugh, though.

"Maybe we're not so different, after all."

I scoffed. "Don't push it." Just because she managed to get to me once didn't mean it would become a regular thing.

Still, she was learning. If I had to be stuck with her and everyone else in the town, at least she showed promise as a cynical apprentice. Pfft. Yeah, right.

"You're funny, Nadi."

She had a lot of growing to do yet.

After she paid for her seeds and whatnot, we didn't say anything else. She left me in peace for the first time, without so much as a smile. But I found myself wishing she would have stayed just a few minutes longer. It was just the summer heat. It was pouring in through the door and windows, messing with my head.

Then it got worse when I stepped outside and headed back to the mansion. The heat never took a break and neither did I.

The beast was no longer the beast. The heat had proven to be more formidable – and what a feat that was.

I wondered exactly how and when that happened. It didn't matter, though.

"Nadi! What took you so long?"

Ah, Elise. She never ceased to find new ways to annoy me. "The first of the seasons is always the busiest day of the month." I'd almost expected her to be aware of that until I remembered she didn't do any of her own farm work. It was rather depressing to think about.

"I didn't mean that," she said. "I asked because you took your sweet time making it up the stairs here! You've been zoning out almost every day."

"I have?" This was news to me. If I was zoning out, why didn't I realize it? Was there something important on my mind, out of the ordinary?

"Yeah! I'm almost concerned."

I scoffed. "Don't be. That would be troublesome."

She put a hand up to her face and laughed in her snobby fashion. "That's the servant I know! But you're talking a lot more lately... It's very odd."

No matter how annoying she came across, she was right. I hadn't heard myself utter more than ten words a day until now.

It was the work of the beast and its other beastly companion.

…

The next day, I headed to the restaurant as per usual. I didn't realize it, but I really spent too much time and money there. I relied on it too much.

The moment I stepped in the door she whipped her head around and stared at me like she knew she was doing something wrong. She was.

It wasn't my business, though, if she continued flirting with the chef. She would end up hurting herself, sure, but maybe then she'd grow up a bit. That would benefit her.

Yet something about the scene bothered me. Seeing those two together all happy and ignorant infuriated me. I was about to order a drink but the chef opened his mouth to respond to her first.

"But yeah, I'd definitely accept some fresh ingredients. I could reimburse you in some way."

Ugh. I'd heard rumors about this guy, but really? How low could one person get? He made it sound like she was some sort of prostitute. Then again...

She just giggled. "It's fine. I kinda just wanna get rid of all the surplus. Ever since I got Fernando, he's been so happy to see me every day there's always, like, three eggs there."

I squinted my eyes and rubbed my forehead. She was so terribly, ridiculously dense and uneducated – a rooster laying eggs? Or was this how she flirted...? If so, then no wonder the chef didn't return her feelings.

Wait... he _didn't_ like her. She herself had already acknowledged that. And I wasn't feeling so great suddenly.

"Raeger... don't lead her on. She'll get hurt."

All of a sudden I just felt so tired, hence my spouting nonsense. The chef didn't pay me any mind, but she did. I must have looked strange since she got up out of her seat and practically ran over to me.

My head was light, my eyelids heavy, and everything around me was spinning. If I wasn't caught up in delirium, I would have been frightened.

Luckily, though, she got to me before I lost all consciousness.

…

She was by my side when I woke up. I couldn't see her clearly, as my eyes were still adjusting, but I felt her presence. Even though she was asleep, it was full of annoyance, energy, and exuberance. But it was also warm, and that made her who she was.

Still, I didn't particularly want her in my room again, especially considering last time. Who knew if she'd touched anything while I was out?

I tried shaking her awake. "Hey... wake up and go home."

It didn't work, though I didn't really expect it to, feeling as weak as I was. I sighed and leaned back, resting my head against the pillow. My head still ached. What happened to me?

I remembered feeling faint back at the restaurant, but I didn't think I actually passed out.

"...mm."

I turned towards her, with her body half on the bed and the other half on the floor. I stifled a chuckle. Was she trying to talk? She sounded pathetic.

"...'m staying."

I rolled over reluctantly. Whatever. If she wanted to stay and catch a cold because she was too dumb to cover up, it wasn't my concern.

Well, regardless, the most likely reason for my collapse was a lack of decent sleep. It wasn't unbearably hot anymore, and it was in fact pretty comfortable, so maybe her being here wasn't such a bad thing.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** We're almost halfway through the story already, guys! Gotta say, it's weird not struggling to meet deadlines this time around.

Thanks for the continued feedback and support! It makes me really happy to know people are enjoying this. So, ah, I figured once I get the ball rolling here, updates for this will be on the weekends (I'll try and keep them consistent, either on Saturday or Sunday) and Fritz the Ditz will be on Thursdays. How's that sound?! Busy, that's for sure!

* * *

It was a chilly awakening, as if I didn't have a blanket. I slowly opened my eyes to try and check the time – last night or whenever was a little fuzzy in my mind. Was it morning now, or had I only slept for a few hours and it was still nighttime?

Even though I was almost awake now, I was facing the wall. I turned over in the bed and collided with something in the process. Ugh. What?

"Ah!" It was her. What the hell? She was asleep...? More importantly, she was still here?

I remembered she ran over to me yesterday like her life depended on it, but I didn't think she took me home as well. How did I even get here? Did someone carry me?

Looking at her young, frail form, it certainly hadn't been her. Was it the chef? I... had to thank him, then. He didn't have to go to the trouble.

I stretched out and yawned, glancing back over at her. She'd somehow managed to steal my blanket and the other half of my bed.

I sighed. We didn't need a repeated episode any time soon. I slid off the mattress to fully wake up. I felt hungry.

She probably would, too, as soon as she woke up. I was indebted to her for her help, so... breakfast would have to suffice. It was just eggs and toast – not anything particularly fancy, but I wasn't a fancy person. She'd understand.

I rubbed the back of my neck. Why did I care if she understood, anyway? It wouldn't change what I cooked.

In any case, I shook her awake and served her some food. As soon as she came to and realized what was on the plate in front of her, though, she crinkled her nose in disgust.

"I don't like eggs."

Suddenly, I was all too happy she didn't stay until morning the first time. I narrowed my eyes. "Just eat."

I didn't watch her eat but I noticed her pushing around the scrambled eggs as if they were poisoned. I sighed. "Give me your plate."

"What?"

"You heard me." I took her plate and scraped the untouched food onto my own. There were still two pieces of toast left on my plate and I moved them onto hers. "There. Now everybody's happy."

She stared at me, dumbstruck, for a few moments, but then she laughed.

"Wh-what?" I demanded. This made me uncomfortable.

"Nothing." She laughed again. "It's just, you always put up this super cold, uncaring front, but when it comes down to it, you just wanna make people happy."

I rolled my eyes, taking small bites. That wasn't true. I just owed her for yesterday, and so I didn't want her to go hungry. There was nothing else to it.

Besides, last night was easily one of my better sleep-filled nights. I had her to thank for that, probably.

It was quiet, almost awkwardly so. I cleared my throat.

"How... are you adjusting?"

"To the town?" she asked. I nodded. "Well... I kinda suck at running a big farm like that, but I like the people here a lot. They remind me of my friends back home."

Right. She was one of those people who had others close to her. There would always be someone to miss her and talk to her when she felt lonely. I wondered what that was like.

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

She smiled. "You were only here for like two weeks before I moved in, right? How's it going for you?"

I stared at the wall ahead of me for a while. People had asked me this same question before, but... how _was_ everything going for me? Did I even have anything? I was... empty.

"It's fine." She didn't need to know.

She nodded hesitantly. We stayed silent and finished breakfast like that. It was more uncomfortable than before, but I didn't feel like talking anymore.

"S-so..."

I didn't like that tone. It meant she was going to pry.

"You look a lot younger in that picture."

And that was where it started. I didn't know what she was expecting, continuously butting in like this, but she didn't take hints too easily, did she?

"And the girl there beside you - "

"Stop," I told her. I didn't want to talk about it; I didn't ever want to talk about it again. Especially not with her.

"B-but you guys look so happy together, but - "

"Annie," I warned. She didn't dare go there again. If she cared about me even a little, she would stop.

"She's not your girlfriend, is she?"

I stood up and inhaled a deep breath, then let it out. I put my plate in the sink with unnecessary force, causing her to flinch. Well, maybe she'd stop dwelling on that topic.

"It's none of your business."

She groaned loudly and followed me to the sink. "You keep saying that, but you've got all these people around you who want to be close to you. But... we can't get close if you keep pushing us away."

"There is no 'us', Annie! It's just me!" I yelled. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm all alone in this town. I don't _want_ to be close to other people. They just get in the way."

She stared at me with pitiful eyes. I expected her to get upset like most girls would and cry, thinking that meant she was in the way, as well. But Annie always surprised me with the way she handled things. I still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Nadi..." She sighed, sounding more calm. "You can't keep it inside forever. I can tell there's something wrong. Why won't you just tell me?"

"If I don't want to, then that's my problem. It doesn't concern you; it never has and it never will." I didn't know how many more times I could repeat that before I went insane. Did she have a thicker skull than I anticipated?

She ruffled her hair and huffed. She turned around and headed for the door. "You're impossible."

I nodded. "Then maybe you'll stop trying."

She clenched her fists before opening the door to the hallway. "Thanks for the food."

That insolent...! She didn't even eat anything other than toast. Any idiot could make toast.

I groaned in frustration and sank to the floor, hands on my head. She was mocking me.

…

After that episode, I felt like I needed to cool off. It didn't seem like the beast would come near me for a while now, which meant I could finally go back to ordering alcohol in peace. The withdrawal was taking its final toll on my mind. It was hard to believe I'd gone that long without it.

When I left the mansion, it was rather dark and late. Not too many people would be at the restaurant now.

I reached the building quickly and took a seat at the bar. It was just the chef and me. He didn't look particularly thrilled.

He took my order and filled a glass for me, but after I took one sip he opened his mouth.

"Y'know, Annie's in here a lot."

I swallowed, savoring the familiar sensation of the burn in my throat. "And?"

"And... she always talks about you." He continued drying one of the wine glasses. "Lately, though, she looks and sounds mad whenever you're brought up."

So she ranted to Mr. Playboy here, huh? I wondered who else she told my supposed problems to.

"Don't lead her on. She'll get hurt."

What was with people mocking me? They were so condescending. I coughed. "I don't want to hear that from you."

I knew this guy was trouble the moment I first saw him. I just didn't realize he would be this _much_ trouble. He wanted to make Annie his next girl, didn't he? I had him all figured out. "You're pathe - "

The door opened and closed quickly, and my and the chef's glaring session came to an abrupt halt. He turned towards the door but I couldn't care less. It was late already, so whoever it was could learn to deal with the awkward situation, too.

"Whoa!" It was Agate's voice. I turned around. If she was here, maybe she brought the beast with her. It was just her, though. I felt a bit relieved and a bit sad.

"Calm down, you two," she said. "Jeez, I don't know what's going on here but don't bite each other's head off!"

She must have seen our expressions. Or heard us arguing.

I scoffed. "Like I'd get anywhere near this pathetic excuse of a man." People, especially people like Raeger, made me sick.

"Look who's talking," he spat back.

I stood up and clenched a fist at my side. I felt pretty lightheaded. "At least I'm not leading her on to get an ego boost."

He chuckled darkly. "Yeah, but at least _I'm_ not constantly putting her down and pushing her away." He set his drying cloth down. "You're the lowest."

So what if that was all true? Maybe I did insult her often and push her away; that was just who I was, and it was still her choice in the end. If she didn't like the way I acted, she could... stop bothering me all the time.

I pushed the barstool back underneath the counter and glared. "I won't come here anymore." I didn't need to be around more negative people than myself. Being in this restaurant made me uncomfortable.

He nodded. "Good. That saves me the trouble of kicking you out."

"Whatever."

I passed by Agate on my way out. She looked like she didn't know what to do or say. That was fine. Silence was better in a situation like this.

And it wasn't my business how Annie spent her free time.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** This was originally two chapters, but I didn't realize how short they were until I was getting ready to upload them. Whoops! I don't think you can tell where the cutoff point was, though.

Thanks for the feedback!

* * *

The plants weren't going to water themselves, especially in this dreadful heat. For some reason, Elise couldn't manage to get that through her head.

Nearly every day of summer so far she watched me like a hawk while I worked. Normally it would make me upset, but since she stayed quiet and didn't cause any trouble, I didn't really care.

At least she wasn't like Annie. That girl never knew when – or how – to stop.

"Nadi."

I glanced up briefly. Elise stared me down. If she had all this free time to bother me, then why couldn't she take care of her own crops?

"What?"

She cleared her throat. "Are you certain you're... fit to work?"

I stopped what I was doing. "Why are you asking this?"

"Well, as of lately, I've noticed you have a rather odd habit of... speaking to the flowers."

She eyed me warily as I just blinked back.

"Someone like you wouldn't understand," I told her simply. I hadn't realized I'd been doing that, though.

"S-someone like me?" She scoffed. "I do hope you mean that in a complimentary fashion – beautiful, smart, sophisticated..."

She could probably listen to herself spout nonsense all day. Maybe she and Annie had the same level of annoyance.

I tuned her out shortly after she started. I had to keep her happy, sure, but at the end of the day it wasn't her who was my boss – it was her father.

Elise sighed, most likely realizing I'd returned to work and hadn't been listening. "Look, Nadi."

I didn't put the gardening shovel down.

"Because it is troublesome having depressed, crazy servants working for me, I will let you confide in me occasionally. But do not make it a habit!"

She went on about how busy she was and that she wouldn't always be around to listen to my sob stories. I felt the corners of my mouth curve upwards. She was rather interesting when she wasn't bossing me around.

"Thanks." She wasn't as bad a person as she made herself seem.

Then her regular personality kicked in, twisting her face into an almost disgusted look. Did I do something wrong?

"You... you've changed, Nadi." She turned her head away and lowered her voice. "Employees sh-shouldn't look so handsome or smile that much. You know, I almost miss the cold demeanor you used to have, because no other girls noticed you then."

She left me alone after that, and judging by her tone, she wouldn't bother me for a while. That was fine, but...

Did she just indirectly confess to me?

…

It was too hot to keep working. I sat down on the bench in front of the inn, hoping the building would block some of the heat. It worked for a while until sundown came, and by then my drink was finished.

Without that distraction, I started remembering mundane things – finding Annie sitting on the same bench here, talking out loud and inadvertently cheering her up.

I'd never felt like this before – at least, I hadn't in a very long time. I found myself second-guessing my decisions, my mind was always in controversy, and I couldn't think properly anymore.

Ugh. This stupid girl was changing me, and it wasn't just the alcohol withdrawal. I couldn't keep my distance for long, and what was even worse...

I wasn't sure I wanted to.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to confirm it either way, because there she was.

She came out of the restaurant in a daze, looking like she wasn't paying attention to anything. How annoying.

"Hey," I called out. No response; her head really was in the clouds.

I turned away. It wasn't my business. I didn't care about -

"Hey!"

She looked my way this time. I didn't even realize that was me who yelled.

She perked up right away, smiling, as if she weren't allowed to be spacey. "Hi, Nadi."

How could she be so nonchalant? Did she really think I didn't see her expression?

"What's wrong?"

She just shook her head, being stubborn.

I sighed. "I don't have all day."

She gave me the same reaction, after which I got up from the bench. "I'm leaving, then."

"Wait, Nadi!"

I turned back around and shook her grip from my arm. "You gonna spill?"

I watched her expectantly. She knew that I would walk away in an instant if she wasted my time. But I probably wouldn't.

She bit her lip, looked away, and finally nodded. "Okay. Okay, I'll tell you."

Good grief. So much drama for something that was probably trivial, knowing her. I sat down beside her and waited.

"So..." She took in a deep breath only to exhale it forcefully. "Y'know how I, um, told you that I liked Raeger?"

And there it was, the mountain she made out of a molehill. Nothing was ever a small matter with her.

"W-well, um, he kinda told me that... that he likes me back."

My emotions changed from apathy to confusion and then anger.

"Like... on one hand, I do still like him, and I've always wanted him to return my feelings, but... on the other hand, I thought I should try and get over him and find someone else like you said – and I think I have, but..."

I knew she was still talking, but I wasn't listening anymore. It wasn't even that she was blabbing too much. I was just preoccupied.

She was stupid, I knew that already, but this was beyond my imagination. Was she really falling for that nonsense?

And the chef, too, now. That damned playboy would use whatever tricks he could to entertain himself. He thought Annie was just some toy.

He wouldn't after I got through with him.

I stood up. "Stay here and don't move."

"N-Nadi? What are you gonna do?" She sounded afraid, her voice trembling with each syllable. "Nadi, wait!"

There wasn't a chance I could wait. How would anyone stay calm in a situation like that?

Annie stayed put like I told her to, and I wasted no time heading straight for the restaurant. I threw open the door and startled the other customers inside.

Raeger looked up but didn't meet my eye.

"Nadi? What's wrong?" He had a pretty dumb expression.

Not only did he forget to glare at me or just ignore my presence completely after our disagreement, but he didn't look like he usually did.

Whatever. The state of his being didn't concern me right now. I narrowed my eyes.

"I told you not to lead her on."

He either didn't hear me or just didn't care, and that ticked me off even more. This was all just some joke to him, but he didn't expect to be caught at it so quickly. How could anybody like him?

"What are you plotting?"

Again, he didn't even look at me. Sure, maybe at times I didn't deserve to be acknowledged, but I'd be damned if I let him get away with this.

"Listen to me."

I reached over the counter and grabbed the collar of his shirt. He finally met my gaze, and by that time there was fear in his. Good. I meant business. "You need to leave Annie alone."

Then his expression went back to anger, similar to when we had that argument. He was getting ready to retaliate.

He pried my hand off and tried tossing it down. I caught it in time, though.

"You talk big for someone who doesn't even care about her," he spat.

I was angrier, though. "I don't have to care about her to want to protect her from you."

"What's the worst I can do?"

Pfft. Like he didn't know.

...But he _was_ right. Not too long ago I'd been wishing for exactly this to happen. Annie would leave me alone for good then, and I wouldn't have to babysit the chef.

So what changed? Was it the girl, him, or me?

In any case, right now wasn't the time to think about it.

"You'll hurt her," I said quickly.

Raeger scoffed. "Haven't you already done that?"

I narrowed my eyes. What was he on about now?

"You slept with her and now you're avoiding her. I bet you told her to stay behind after she told you I confessed, huh?"

"Raeger, stop it!" That was Agate's voice. I supposed it made sense, as the whole place was silent now. Everyone was focused on us.

He ignored her easily. "You don't want her to see your bad side. You're the pathetic one."

"What do you know?!"

I raised my fist and almost connected it with his face, but Agate yanked my arm back before anything could happen. I tried to shake her off but she wouldn't let go. I couldn't force a hand against her. "This isn't your fight, Agate."

She frowned. "It's not yours, either! This is between Annie and Raeger!"

Those words hit hard. What was I doing?

She was right. This matter was between those two idiots. I didn't have any right to barge into it.

I let my arm fall to rest at my side, my hand still clenched into a fist.

When did I become one of them?

…

I was almost late for work the next morning, having been debating whether or not I should've gone. In the end it didn't matter because I was under contract. I would still get paid regardless, but Elise would have my head if I missed even an hour.

Of course, she had my head, anyway, as we met each other on the stairway.

"I heard you picked a fight with Raeger yesterday."

At least she wouldn't profuse her love for me again. I sighed. There were several questions I wanted to ask regarding that, but I stayed on topic. "Who told you that?"

She scoffed, hands on her hips. "It doesn't matter. If you're going around fighting all the time, I'll have to fire you."

Well, that was a new one. At least she didn't beat around the bush. "I apologize for my insolence."

She stuck a hand up to stop me. "You didn't let me finish. I will fire you only if you are in the wrong. Since you were clearly only looking out for Annie, our precious new farmer, you will not be punished. I won't tell Father. However, do not let it happen again."

I detected a lot of sarcasm in her voice, especially regarding Annie, but she did mean it. And... it would do me good to heed her words.

It wasn't as if I'd have nowhere else to go should I have been fired, but this town had already made me dig a deeper hole than I could climb out of.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I've noticed that, after the first chapter, the word count has been steady decreasing. It makes me wonder if they're long enough, or if maybe I should've just combined them all into a long one-shot or something.

Thanks for reading! I like this chapter and I think it and the next are my favorites in the story.

* * *

I started eating outside of the restaurant. I made sure to stay until after dinnertime to properly keep tabs on Raeger. I hadn't seen him or Annie for a few days, but that was fine. I wasn't going out of my way to find either of them.

Agate walked past me on a few occasions but never took the time to stop and talk to me. She always walked faster and turned away with a sad, guilty look on her face.

Today, however, would be different.

She was about to head up the stairs to the restaurant but I grabbed her arm and pinned her up against the building. She wouldn't sneakily elude me this time.

"Nadi, what - "

"Where is she?" I spent no time getting to the point – maybe some nosy person would pass by and misunderstand.

She averted her gaze.

"What's going on between those two?" I pestered.

She bit her lip. Not talking?

"You seem to know quite a bit, so spill it." I wasn't playing. I wouldn't hurt her, but I'd been told on several occasions how frightening my angry face was.

A long while passed before she nodded. I stepped back then and she sighed.

"Annie's... been locked up inside her house for a few days now, and Raeger hasn't come out of his restaurant, either. Neither of them will tell me anything, regarding Raeger's confession or otherwise."

Well, I could guess all of that. "And?" There had to be something else that caused this whole mess. People didn't just confess to others, especially if they already had someone else in mind.

She shook her head again. "I-I don't know anything else."

I put a hand to my forehead and rubbed at it tenderly. She was acting too suspicious. No wonder she and Annie were friends.

"Just tell me."

"I... I really don't - "

"Agate!"

She flinched and closed her eyes. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you everything, I promise! But can we go somewhere else?"

I sighed. She had a point. It would be troublesome if someone saw us like this; it was already surprising that nobody from the restaurant came out.

"All right. Lead the way," I told her carelessly. Hopefully she didn't drag me too far away, though. With each step we took, I already started losing interest.

She decided on her house since it was relatively close. Whatever was fine, as long as she made sure no one would see or hear us. This was difficult enough as it was.

She thankfully got right to it after I refused to sit down. With any luck I wouldn't be there longer than five minutes.

"S-so, about a week ago – well, no, let me start with this. You know Raeger likes Iris, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

She nodded. "Well, he does. Or he did, at least. Anyway, about a week ago, I was going to Klaus's house to give him some herbs for a new perfume he wanted to make, since they only grow at the safari, and - "

She probably saw my expression because she stopped that topic quickly.

"U-um, so when I got there, I knocked and heard voices. I couldn't make out what they were saying so I just assumed they told me to come in, but when I walked in – ugh, it was so weird. I saw Klaus and Iris in bed together... and, uh, and Klaus wasn't wearing a shirt."

My head hurt. This was exhausting.

So... it sounded like those two got together, and because Agate was such a dramatic gossip queen who never kept her mouth shut, news probably traveled fast. Raeger heard about it and got depressed, then falsely confessed to Annie, and now...

I felt another headache coming on. Where was my flask?

"Didn't you think about how it would affect everyone around you?" I asked. Didn't she understand that people didn't just waltz into others' houses uninvited?

Agate was only a year or so older than Annie, so it made sense why she was so immature, but... why?

"You're her friend, aren't you?" I tried again after she didn't answer. "Didn't you ever _once_ think about how she would feel after hearing this?"

"Annie told me she was over Raeger!" she spat back. She covered her mouth in horror immediately, like she wasn't supposed to say that. But then she gulped, probably realizing she was in too deep to back out now.

That was how my life here had been progressing, too.

"She told me... she told me she already liked someone else. And besides, _I_ like Raeger! Annie told me to go for it! So I thought if he heard about Iris and - "

"Who does Annie like?" I interrupted, paying no mind to her rant about the dumb chef.

Agate shook her head. "I... I really can't say that, not to you."

"Damn it!" I slammed my hands on the counter, startling her.

Annie was such a damned idiot.

…

It was time to forget about her – in fact, it had been past that time the day I met her in town. I should have lied and said it wasn't me who spent the night with her. Maybe then, everything would still be normal.

She needed to move on, too. She didn't need someone like me.

I would've only brought her down. She didn't deserve that.

In order to erase myself from her life, I went straight to and from work and nowhere else. I didn't need to watch Raeger anymore; he was just a lowlife who was depressed. He wouldn't make any dumb moves.

I knew for a while that she probably liked me, anyway, but I thought if I showed her who I really was, she'd lose interest and move on.

I didn't want her to have feelings for me. I couldn't be with anyone else.

Even after growing rather attached to her.

So I threw myself to my work. It was nearly my birthday, but that meant nothing anymore without someone to spend it with. I was accustomed to that, though.

Elise started her annoying, nosy streak again when she finally took notice of my longer work days.

"Nadi, recently... your attitude has changed," she started. "You've been coming to work earlier and staying later, and when you're here you no longer slack off."

Where was she going with this? I didn't see a point. I resumed watering the apple tree.

"Hmm... come to think of it, I haven't seen Annie in a while, either. Do you know why?"

I sighed. Being that annoying, did she want me to quit or something? She was toying with me. She knew perfectly well there was something going on.

"No," I settled for. I wasn't sure which one of the girls I associated with was the most annoying.

Elise proceeded to pester me some more about it, but she was easy to ignore. She wasn't a bad person, as long as she didn't open her mouth.

Still, at that time, I figured staying there any longer than necessary anymore would be torture.

I couldn't keep avoiding Annie in this tiny place. I just didn't understand why she was doing the same – avoiding me, sure, but the rest of her friends?

I decided to pay her a visit later and have a little chat.

Maybe this was all a misunderstanding.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Sorry for the late deadline! I, uh, accidentally forgot with this one, too. My brother's been visiting this weekend so I put responsibilities/hobbies on the back burner :P

It'll be back to normal again this Sunday, promise!

* * *

I knocked four different times, twice each. She didn't come out or even make any sort of noise of affirmation.

It was my first time seeing the farmland on the hills. I looked around briefly. It was quite a big area. This must have been where that old lady used to live.

I tried knocking again, since the door was locked. Damn girl.

"It's me, Nadi," I said, as if she didn't know my voice already. I cleared my throat and loosened up. "And Agate, too!"

Several moments passed. I heard nothing and now felt like an idiot. At least there wasn't anyone around.

She either wasn't home or really didn't want to talk to me or fake Agate.

I gave up then, deciding to just head back to my room at the inn. I was already feeling pretty drained, having been prepared for this encounter since the night before.

And that was when I saw her, on the same bench. Did we just miss each other, or had she been elsewhere in town first?

Since it was nearing the end of summer, it was still rather hot, enough to make me sweat just looking at her in her sweatshirt. What was she doing? She looked rather distant.

"Hey," I said once I was in front of her. I wanted to get right to the point but I knew it wouldn't be that easy with her. She liked everything to be indirect.

She looked up at me but didn't smile as usual. "Hi."

Something was up. I had a feeling I already knew what it was, but I was clinging to a small hope.

When a few moments passed and she hadn't blabbed my ear off yet, I actually began to wonder if she'd caught some sort of heat stroke. It wasn't my problem, but...

"Come on."

I outstretched my hand to help her up. She stared at it stupidly.

I sighed. "Look, I'm not carrying you." If she'd gotten herself there and foolishly decided to stay, then she could face the consequences.

She nodded once and grabbed my hand to help herself up. She quickly let go after getting on her feet.

I realized that I didn't really want her to.

"How's your drinking problem?" she asked, chipper as ever.

I narrowed my eyes. There was definitely something wrong, and she knew I knew so she was trying to hide it.

"Not a problem, thanks," I replied monotonously. Like I could have feelings for this girl. That was probably the most absurd thought ever.

I led her to the inn's second floor and to my room, and then she took a seat on the bed like I owned the place.

Annoyance aside, she looked fine. No heat stroke or anything, just acting strange.

Still, it would have been more strange for me to drag her here and not give her something to drink. I started the kettle, then grabbed some other ingredients for myself.

She still hadn't said anything by the time the kettle started whistling. I figured she must have given up trying to pretend nothing was wrong.

I poured her tea and stuck an orange on the side of the glass. When I gave it to her, her eyes widened.

"H-how did you know I like orange tea?"

I cleared my throat. "It's pretty standard around here." Maybe keeping tabs on Raeger wasn't such a great idea. It wasn't my fault she was always in the damn restaurant.

"Oh, is it?" She took a sip and smiled. "By the way, what's that?" She pointed to my drink. "Is it alcohol?"

She didn't trust me at all, did she? "It's grass drink."

"It's... liquid grass?"

I stifled a laugh. "No. It's a blend of vegetables, lemon, and milk."

Out of all the times someone asked me what my grass drink was, never had I seen an expression as interesting as hers. She crinkled her nose afterwards.

"That sounds disgusting." She sighed. "But if it's what you like, maybe I can make some for you sometime."

I blinked. Right. That was what one would do for the person they liked.

"Don't worry about it." She probably would have messed it up somehow, anyway.

I didn't know how she managed it, but she always changed the mood so quickly. I could feel the awkwardness in the air. Did she enjoy playing with others' feelings?

"Did... did your girlfriend used to make it for you?"

I frowned and rolled my eyes. This again? "Annie..." Wait – _used to_?

"No," she rebutted quickly. "Don't sound so upset and annoyed. I think you owe me an explanation after all of this."

"All of this?" She had a point, but I wanted to know why she was angry. And how much did she know – or think she knew?

She set down the cup and stood up. "You know... pushing me away and refusing to acknowledge that you like me."

She bit her lip, trapped in her own instigation. "You like me."

She started backing away, obviously embarrassed, but once she reached the wall I trapped her up against it. There was nowhere for her to go now.

I wanted to remind her that she wasn't the one holding the reigns. I was.

I placed my hands on both sides of her face. "You like me, right? It's not the other way around."

She shook her head, not meeting my eye. "Y-yeah, I like you, but - "

"But what?" I pressed when she trailed off.

Damn. She actually looked really good right now, shy and nervous. This was the side of her I'd only seen one other time and, no matter how I looked at it, it wasn't fake. This was Annie, through and through. Seductive yet vulnerable.

"But... but you like me, too!" she cried. Her face was as red as the roses in Elise's garden.

"Are you delirious? I'll say this now - "

Before more sarcastic snark could come out of my mouth she sealed it with her own.

Her lips moved just as I remembered, swiftly and with purpose, like she wanted to devour me.

And I kissed her back.

We battled for dominance before I won her over, her legs pressed up against the edge of the bed. She tumbled over, breaking the kiss, and I quickly sprawled myself over top of her.

Her eyes were wide with shock, but she wasn't afraid. She trusted me too much to fear me.

How stupid of her. I would show her the consequences of her actions.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** We're nearing the eeeeend~ It's funny. I thought it'd be easier to write this, but it's surprisingly difficult sometimes.

Thank you for reading and reviewing!

* * *

I couldn't get out of anywhere fast enough. A fear grew inside me, thinking I would run into her.

I couldn't believe it happened again – that I let it and wanted it to.

Did she expect something now? Did she want something? I couldn't give her anything, regardless of how hard I tried.

With a sigh, I packed up my tools and headed back to the inn. I didn't need to keep tabs on Raeger anymore – more like I didn't have the energy or will to – and Annie had left just before I woke up. I would be alone.

It felt strange thinking that. Maybe she wasn't the only one who wanted something.

When I entered the room, there was a slip of paper behind the door, like she'd slid it underneath when she left. Why didn't I see it earlier?

On the note, scribbled in her handwriting, was "Sorry for last night."

"Damn it!" I pounded a fist into the wall. This girl would be the death of me! Last night was one of the better nights of my life... and she was apologizing for it like it meant nothing?

I let out a deep breath and shook my head. It wasn't like I ever told her that or anything like that.

I frowned. She was right. I owed her an explanation or two. I had for a while.

Steeling myself, I walked right back out the door and started up the path to her house. It was dark and late in the evening, but it wasn't too late yet for me to realize I needed her in my life.

The area surrounding her house seemed bigger at night. Or maybe it was always that big – either way, it was larger than Elise's courtyard and I was stalling.

I walked up to the door and knocked twice. She had to be home.

She opened the door moments later, clad in a nightgown. I coughed into my hand off to the side, finding it hard to look at her. "Can we talk?"

"If you look me in the eye, sure."

Ugh. She had the upper hand this time and knew it. She was just flaunting it. If I looked at her, I might not have been able to control myself anymore. Even if she wasn't expecting company, she should have been wearing a robe over that thing.

I cleared my throat to start but she beat me to it.

"Did you come here to talk about your not-girlfriend?"

And I instantly regained my self-control. "Why are you so hung up on that?"

"Because you are, too." She crossed her arms.

I looked back at her. She gave me a sad smile.

Sure, the plan was to talk about that subject, but if she would make that face again, I wasn't sure if I could go through with it. She didn't deserve that.

She invited me in and shut the door. I took a seat on the futon, glad she didn't have a bed, while she prepared tea.

We stayed in silence as the water heated up. Time didn't move slowly enough. I couldn't compose myself or find a decent way to start the conversation. What the hell was wrong with me? Had I been so tight-lipped about it that now I couldn't bring it up willingly?

How pathetic.

She handed me a mug. "Sorry it's not grass drink."

The corners of my mouth tugged up. "Herbal tea is fine."

It was warm, just like everything about her. I swallowed a mouthful, along with another lump in my throat. It resided in my chest instead. I couldn't lose her, too.

"Annie."

She set her cup down and nodded to me, trying to hide her solemn expression with a fake smile.

And to think, that was probably the look I would get after telling her everything. I placed my cup on the coffee table.

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

Pain flickered through her eyes. She was so dense she needed everything spelled out to her.

I sighed deeply. "You deserve to hear it, and somehow I trust you enough to want to tell you. But not yet."

She nodded slowly and closed her eyes. When she opened them back up to look at me, she gave me a real smile. "Okay."

That was it? That was all it took for her to stop pressing for more and nagging me when I didn't abide?

"But - "

I groaned. I knew she couldn't leave it at that. Things were never that simple with Annie.

" _But_ ," she tried again, more lighthearted this time, "only if you promise that I'm the only one you'll talk to about it."

I rolled my eyes but let her playful mood pull at the corners of my mouth. I couldn't remember when I'd last smiled this much.

"Thanks."

She seemed caught off guard, though I didn't know why. I had a lot to thank her for, and words couldn't even begin to express that.

I didn't feel like myself, but it was a welcome change. I felt... better, and I hadn't even gotten it off my chest yet. It sounded ridiculous, like I was worshiping her or something, but it really was all thanks to this girl. Annie. The beast.

"Can you wait for me?"

I was reverting to my old self, the desperate empty shell longing for human contact I was so long ago. I didn't like that part.

I supposed... that was a trade off, though. It wasn't the worst thing that could happen.

What was... I would have to do my best to protect her from.

"I'll think about it," she told me in a playful tone. "Just don't take too long because I won't wait forever. I'm still young, y'know."

I allowed myself a small smile. It was hard to believe that she was the one I wanted, and harder yet that she seemed to want me back.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Okay! This story's finally back after an almost month-long hiatus. Sorry for the lack of updates and stuff.

We've got two more chapters to go, and the ending's got an epilogue attached to it. As of now, LRA is complete! ...I just have to type it up and update it for another two weeks :P

This chapter is the epitome of the entire story. This is Loss, Regret, and Annie. Thank you for reading :)

* * *

I heard her voice coming from far away. I was in the middle of work, but I crooked my neck around the bend in the hedges to look for her.

She was standing on the other side of the fountain, talking with Elise about something or other. Was she looking for me?

I started towards her. I told her to wait...

"I don't appreciate being woken up this early to look for a servant," Elise said with a drawn out sigh. It was eight o'clock. "But for you, I suppose an exception can be made."

But that answered my question. Annie _was_ looking for me. Did I go see her? Was that the right thing to do?

"Thanks, Elise."

Annie's tone was lighthearted and friendly, like it usually was now. I wasn't sure what I would do without it. She wasn't anything special, but maybe that was exactly what I needed now.

I palmed my face. I sounded ridiculous. She didn't heal me, or save me, or any of that nonsense. She was just interesting.

Well, regardless, I really did need to start explaining myself. It'd already been a week since I asked her for more time, and if she was here looking for me, she was probably getting impatient.

"No, he's really nice, actually."

Was that Annie again? They were still talking? I peeked around once more.

Elise raised a hand to her mouth and laughed. "Nadi, nice? I would love to know why you think that."

I would, too, but then again, I didn't particularly care for Elise's opinion. Instead...

Annie shook her head and laughed. "I mean it. He cares about everything a lot more than he lets on. He was always there for me when I needed someone, and I think he still will in the future, too..."

Jeez. She had no reason to think that way, but there she went, blabbing her mouth anyway.

It was almost comforting, familiarly so.

I didn't need to eavesdrop anymore, so I turned my attention back to work. That didn't last long, though.

"I've noticed the changes in him, as well."

It was Elise this time. They couldn't get off the topic of me, huh?

"I don't know how you managed to do it, Annie, but... he's a good guy. You chose well."

That didn't sound anything like the Elise I knew. Maybe Annie just naturally brought out different sides of people. What a weird girl.

"The way you're saying that makes it sound like you like him, too."

All right, that was enough. I was supposed to be in hiding, but I didn't need her turning snarky like me.

I walked over to them, not really paying much attention to the looks on their faces. They knew I heard them all this time.

"Annie," I said, looking at her.

She looked taken aback. "Yeah?"

"Can I see you later?"

She turned her head, her cheeks growing darker. "S-sure."

I nodded, then turned around to get back to work, ignoring Elise's scolding for "flirting on the job."

We would meet later. Of course I would have rather spent time with her now, but... I needed those few hours to finalize what I would say. It wasn't exactly easy digging deeper into the hole.

But I needed her to help. I couldn't do this without her.

…

We met up in my room sometime after six o'clock, when I got off work. She sat awkwardly on the bed while I stood. Neither one of us wanted to talk about that other night, I supposed. It just happened.

Well... it was finally time to stop beating around the bush. I didn't invite her here so we could stay in silence.

I knelt down and dragged the tub of memories out from underneath the bed. I took a deep breath and opened it, then looked up at her.

"Which ones haven't you seen?"

She returned my question with a blank face. I sighed.

"This isn't easy."

"I-I know," she said quickly. "Sorry. It's just, y'know, you were always so against it..."

"I won't get upset this time."

Her eyes widened. "Promise?"

I scoffed. She was so childish sometimes. Promises didn't mean much. Still, I nodded. "I want you to know."

She nodded slowly and got off the bed to join me on the floor. She glanced at me before taking a photo album out.

When she opened the cover, her eyes went wide again. I was starting to learn just how interesting her reactions were.

"These are... it's – she's your - "

"Was," I corrected her quietly.

"What?"

I swallowed a lump. "She _was_ my girlfriend."

Her expression darkened. She wasn't stupid. She figured it out. She pitied me. Everybody who found out did.

"Nadi..."

I closed my eyes. I didn't want sympathy, not fro her. I just wanted her to know and understand.

"My girlfriend... the girl in the pictures... her name was Violet."

I took another deep breath. How long had it been since I'd spoken her name? Since I'd even thought of her name?

I leaned over her shoulder to look at the photos in the album. The current page was full of her and me during our trip to that shrine in high school. She was always smiling because she wanted to rush up ahead and run up the stairs before everybody else, and she would always coax me into following after her.

I didn't turn the page. All that would be there was pain. If Annie wanted to, though, I wouldn't stop her from looking at them.

I turned my attention to her, pursing her lips and tilting her head down. It was too much for her, wasn't it? Maybe it was just shock from seeing such a different me, the past me.

Maybe she'd leave me for good. She wouldn't give me dumb gifts or call my name or follow me around anymore. I wouldn't see her fawn over the chef only to have her heart broken or talk happily with Agate or smile while taking care of her crops and animals anymore.

All the things that Annie was, I wouldn't know anymore. We would go back to being perfect strangers. And...

I couldn't live without her, but that sure as hell didn't mean she needed me.

"How long has it been?"

My head snapped towards her. She was still here? She didn't leave? I didn't do anything to drive her away?

In my self-wallowing, I guess I'd forgotten she was different. She didn't fit into any sort of stereotype. She was just Annie.

"Last winter," I told her. She was genuinely interested and concerned. I'd never felt someone's truly remorseful aura before. Or maybe it was just hers in general, because it was strangely warm and comforting. I could trust her with anything and everything, it felt like.

She nodded slowly. "What happened?"

I could trust her. I could entrust myself to her. As I kept digging farther and farther, I told myself that. There wasn't anything that I'd feared more than this moment, here and now.

I sighed shakily. I spoke slowly, as if my mouth had forgotten how to shape the sounds of my words. "She took her life."

We'd been together since our last year of high school, when we were both Annie's age. I was twenty-one now.

It was because I didn't make her happy enough. I should have seen the signs, asked her more questions and answered more of hers. I should have taken her out and shown her off more. I should have done so many things differently, but now I didn't even have the chance to apologize or tell her how I felt just one last time.

As I voiced all my negative thoughts from deep down, Annie listened to me. She didn't interrupt or ask questions or do anything except be there. And that was all I needed.

"Nadi... Violet was depressed. There was something seriously wrong with her, and there wasn't anything you did wrong or could've done better."

She sighed and leaned against my shoulder. "She's not suffering anymore."

Right. She probably didn't know what else to say. What _could_ she say? She'd already covered the false closure.

Violet... was I really so terrible you couldn't take it anymore? Was that why you ended your life and left me to pick up the broken pieces? You should have just told me.

I didn't understand, and I didn't think I ever would, but I had to admit, having Annie here made it easier to cope.

She knew all the right things to say, even if she didn't voice them.

She was loud, obnoxious, and annoying most of the time, and she cared more about what others were doing than she should have, but I was starting to accept all of that.

If she could accept all of my faults and stupid personal issues and still have feelings for me, then... maybe, just maybe, love was worth another try.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** I think this is the shortest chapter. Sorry about that! I guess I just like writing big endings ;)

* * *

The flowers looked like they were about to wilt. I must not have been watering them enough, what with everything going on.

Apparently, I had a girlfriend again. I called her Annie.

While I was working, I heard footsteps gradually getting faster and louder. I turned around and saw Agate of all people. She started running towards me.

What was it with women interrupting my work?

"Nadi!" she practically screamed. "Klaus and Raeger are fighting!"

I scoffed disbelievingly. Why was Raeger so belligerent all of a sudden? He didn't exactly back down from my anger the other day. Still, that was one of those things that weren't my business.

"It's got nothing to do with me."

"But Annie's trying to stop them!"

Damn it. I clenched my fists. She always tried to get herself into trouble.

I high-tailed it out of there and to the restaurant. When I got inside, of course Raeger was there, but I didn't see Klaus. Did he kill him already? Was Annie hiding the body?

I went up the the counter. Raeger looked fine, like he hadn't just killed anybody.

"What's going on...?"

He just sighed. "I told them not to do it, 'cause it'd just make you mad..."

What was he talking about? Told who? There was nobody around. What the hell?

"Why is it so dark - "

"Surprise!"

I must have jumped two feet into the air. The lights came on and suddenly I could see everyone clearly. Damn these people.

Annie stood at the center of the crowd, Elise right beside her. Well, that explained why I didn't see her at the mansion earlier. But why me? Couldn't they do that to someone else? I hated surprises.

Everyone was just staring at me. Didn't these people have jobs? Even Veronica was here.

Within just a few seconds, Annie came over to me and threw her arms around my neck. I froze. This was new. Did I hug her back?

"Happy birthday, Nadi," she whispered into my ear.

Was that the reason for this? My birthday? She remembered...

"You know, Annie planned this whole thing," Raeger said behind us.

Annie tore herself away and I looked back at him. He'd gotten out some sort of white cake and started sticking candles on it.

"How old are you?" he asked, smirking.

"...Not as old as you."

"Ouch." He laughed. He didn't seem bothered at all by our last little conversation there. That was good to know.

Annie grabbed my hand. "The cake's vanilla. I remember you told me you liked it one time."

Did I? That must have been a drunk thing.

She leaned closer to my ear. "I've got something else planned for you, too, so come by my house later."

If she was trying to seduce me, it wasn't working. She didn't even have a bed at her house. We'd be cramped on her sofa.

She left after that, though, to go mingle with the others. I supposed I should do the same.

My birthday, huh? It was already going to be autumn. In that case, that meant it'd almost been a whole year since I thought coming here was a good idea.

I talked to a few people – Klaus, Agate, Elise – and afterwards, Raeger pulled me aside by the arm.

"Hey."

"What?"

He walked about halfway up the stairs and motioned for me to follow him. He cleared his throat. "I wanted to thank you for knocking some sense into me the other day."

My eyes widened. He really wasn't mad. He was... grateful?

"I need someone I can rely on, and had you never dealt with me, well... I wouldn't know how wonderful Agate is."

So that was it. He had the hots for Agate but didn't realize it until I yelled at him and called him pathetic? What a weirdo. I felt more glad that he didn't get to Annie.

Still, it was good to know he was happy. And Agate was Annie's best friend, so that was a double positive.

I headed back down the stairs first and peered out into the crowd, looking for Annie. Raeger came up beside me.

We watched her and Agate, smiling and laughing and probably talking about some dumb girl stuff. They looked happy – Annie looked happy. She was really okay with me.

I smiled. We chose great girls.

"I'm going to wait a few days, at least, to make sure it's not a rebound thing, y'know?"

I nodded. He didn't need to hurt anyone else.

Annie met my eye and smiled and waved, which reminded me... What did she have waiting for me at her house?

* * *

 _~CGA_


End file.
